solidsurfacealliance.org Blog

June 4th, 2008
The short answer is yes, you should be concerned. Three facts stand out.

The scientific standard for radiation protection is ALARA, As Low As Reasonably Achievable.

Almost all granite has some level of radiation.

Radiation can cause health problems and disease.

But, the real answer is not black and white. In fact, what you will wind up doing is finding out the risk factor for your choice of granite, then deciding if it is worth the risk. Could be a tiny, tiny, risk or could be a huge risk.

For many years, the facts about radiation and granite countertops were successfully suppressed by the Marble Institute of America (MIA) which is the main stone lobby association. One can google the terms and find website after website saying that this is a myth started by laminate or solid surface manufacturers, but get past page one on the Google search, and the scientific studies on granite start showing up. Also, competing product associations, like our’s, have started to gather the data so it is easily found by consumers.

So there are really three camps, those that claim the granite/radiation issue is a myth, those that now admit the issues but claim all granite sold are low level, and those like this site that show that there are high radioactive level granites being sold to consumers. Who to believe?

The facts, proven by scientific studies, reports of hot granite tops being removed, and by informal testing on actual granite slabs, show that there are some granites being sold that emit seriously high radiation. As this blog site develops, plenty of proof will be presented, actual data logs from testing granites, pictures of high level readings, even videos of the entire process. Scientific studies will be linked to, as well as other forums with postings by experts in the field on the issues.

For now though, what should a consumer do if they want a granite countertop? Seven main points to consider in deciding on the level of radiation you will accept as worth the risk.

A. Do your homework. Spend some time online getting all sides of the story. Not likely that someone selling only granite countertops will be credible, but find out what they have to say. Better to find company web sites like mine, that offer all types of countertops. We just want to sell you a top, doesn’t matter which you pick in the end.

B. Figure out how much time you usually spend in the kitchen. A homemaker with a large family that is an avid cook will spend a lot of time in a kitchen, but a single person with a demanding job may not use a kitchen much at all. Time, distance, and mass are important factors in radiation exposure, so a seldom used kitchen can use a hotter granite. A smaller kitchen might justify choosing a slightly hotter granite.

C. Consider your family health history. If cancer runs in your family, as it does in mine, you will want to consider a lower level granite. Other diseases have been linked to radioactivity as well, so find out what is an issue in your family.

D. Consider any exposure you get from other sources. A nuclear plant worker will likely have a pretty low exposure history, strangely enough, but a medical researcher or X ray tech might have a higher yearly exposure. Those living at higher elevations receive more cosmic radiation. Those in high Radon areas receive that exposure.

E. Find a countertop fabricator that takes the issue seriously. They will have the knowledge and equipment to test your slab prior to purchase.

F. Find out if the material you are interested has been tested. Some like Absolute Black seem to be safe, and tend to be very uniform levels, few if any hot spots. Others can be low level on one end, very hot on the other end. Some have small hot spots that can be cut out if the fabricator knows to test to find them.

G. Have YOUR slab tested prior to purchase, don’t put down a cent till this is done, and insist on seeing the process. It takes but a couple of minutes for a properly equipped fabricator to do a simple survey on the entire slab. The equipment is simple, relatively low cost, and requires no training to understand the reading.

Understanding the risk from that reading does require an expert, who would have to know, exactly what radioactive elements are present, how much, how long, and how close. General rules of thumb for radiation risk are available, as well as exposure limits, so a general idea can be easily determined. Will the answer be exact? No, but it doesn’t need to be. We will confine our work to sorting high from low levels, leaving exact measurements to the Nuclear Physicist and Health Physicists.

As this site develops, we will address everything one needs to know and do to find a safe granite countertop.

Thanks for reading, comments always valued,

AL Gerhart